A Soul Distilled
by Rhine Thiev
Summary: Sanzo and company travel to recover the Amu no Nuboko, a sacred Shinto weapon which can control and alter the fabric of the three dimensions. Action, Adventure, Angst, Romance, Spiritual. Rated R to be safe
1. Default Chapter

All material not immediately recognizable is probably not copyrighted, for all bakas who couldn't figure that out already. If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the review's box, along with any spare change, Bowie concert tickets, or Sanzo/ Kuruma plushies. -

* * *

"Hey, Sanzo! Wait up!" Son Goku flopped down on the rocky terrain of the Gobi desert. "Man, if I get any hungrier I'll start eating you guys!" He picked up a rock. "I wonder what this tastes like...OW!"

* * *

"If you don't stop complaining, I WILL leave you behind." Sanzo put away the paper fan he had just whacked Goku with. Looking around, he shaded his eyes, "Hakkai and Gojyo should be nearby...We'll travel in Jeep when we find them. This'll all go much faster, then."

* * *

"Why'd we have 'ta lose 'em? Why couldn't the Aspects send someone ELSE to the Gobi?" Goku whined, "Don't we have to go stop that experiment thingy? OW!"

* * *

"I had SAID!"

* * *

Meep! Meep!

* * *

"Sanzo! Goku! Is that you?"

* * *

"Oi! Pretty-Preist and Stupid-Monkey!"

* * *

Sanzo glared at Gojyo as Jeep pulled up, Hakkai at the wheel and Gojyo at shotgun. Goku jumped up and started yelling at Gojyo as Hakkai signaled to Sanzo.

* * *

"Sanzo...I received your message, and got here as soon as I could." He glanced at Gojyo and Goku, who were bickering as usual. "Gojyo knows, did you tell Goku?"

* * *

Sanzo shifted uncomfortably. "Not yet...I didn't know if bringing up anything having to do with his past was a good idea."

* * *

"I suppose you're right." He turned to Gojyo. "Gojyo, would you mind...?"

* * *

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Sit with the Monkey." Gojyo climbed into the back seat.

* * *

"Hey! I'm not a monkey!" Goku jumped in next to Gojyo.

* * *

"Stupid Monkey!"

* * *

"Pervy Kappa!"

* * *

"Chibi-Chimp!"

* * *

"Water-logged Hentai!"

* * *

"SHUT UP!" Sanzo whacked them with his paper fan, towering over them from the passenger's seat. "DO I HAVE TO MAKE YOU TWO BE QUIET!"

* * *

Gojyo and Goku cowered together in fear. "GAH! We'll be quiet! We'll be good!"

* * *

"You better." Sanzo mumbled as he sat back down. Hakkai chuckled.

* * *

"Well, it seems as if we're all back to normal after our little break, then?" He patted the dashboard, "All right, Jeep, you know where to go."

* * *

The Three Aspects conversed among each other. The flames from the torches around them flickered and crackled quietly.

* * *

"This great aural energy coming from the East..." mused one Aspect "...has it anything to do with the minus energy coming from the West?"

* * *

"Indeed, it must," nodded the other, "Such a powerful wave of healing energy is the perfect weapon to equip our envoy with."

* * *

"Will Genjyo Sanzo be able to capture it, though?" asked the third Aspect. The other two fell silent at this.

* * *

"He has proven himself in all other matters." The first one finally spoke, "And his companions have always come through to assist him. We will wait, and see."

* * *

Deep under the earth, in a cave that looks out into the Sea of Japan from the base of the island of Rishiri, something stirred in the water. Bubbles swirled, disturbing a cluster of sea anenome, causing them to close shut. A groan echoed off of the cave walls, and a soft glow grew from the back of the cave. Another groan, and something shook the foundations of the island.

* * *

Yes, not the best introduction, I know, and rather short, but we can't ALL be Clive Barker or Philip Pullman on the first go. Send any comments, questions, or tomatoes to the Review section, or I'll beat you with an iron-spiked wet noodle! -

* * *

Rhine Thiev 


	2. In Dalian

'Ello, me lovelies! Another little chapter up for 'ya...just because you were all so good and my Mum was giving me death threats if I didn't giver her something interesting to read while she was at work. So here you are! Oh, and sorry about all of the lines; the spacing won't work otherwise and I don't want it to be one big paragraph. All material not immediately recognizable is probably not copyrighted, for all bakas who couldn't figure that out already. If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the review's box, along with any spare change, Bowie concert tickets, or Sanzo/ Kuruma plushies.

* * *

"Ame...no...Minaka...Nushi...no...Mikoto..." The glow coming from the cave grew brighter.

* * *

"Sanzo, we should stop for the night, Jeep is getting tired." Hakkai pat the side of the chirping vehicle.

* * *

"Yeah, and I'm starved!" Goku groaned. "We haven't eaten in ages!"

* * *

"You just ate a half hour ago, you dumb monkey!" Gojyo stretched and leaned back.

* * *

"I'M NOT!"

* * *

"QUIET!" Sanzo roared. He sat back down, sighing. "All right, we rest as soon as we're out of sight of the Gobi. There should be a town a few hours ahead; Dalian. We can stop for the night. Then, on to Japan."

* * *

"Japan?" Goku looked up. "Land of the Aural Warriors?"

* * *

"Say what?" Gojyo glanced lazily at Goku.

* * *

Hakkai looked interestedly at Goku's reflection in the rearview mirror. "What's an Aural Warrior, Goku?"

* * *

Goku shook his head, as if he were in a daze. "Mmm? I dunno." He scratched his head. "Is there food at this town we're going to?"

* * *

"Hmmf." Gojyo closed his eyes and leaned back again, "Little monkey boy's been in the sun too long and doesn't know what he's saying..."

* * *

"I'M NOT!"

* * *

"SHUT IT!" Sanzo stood up in the front seat and whacked the two of them upside the head with his fan.

* * *

Hakkai chuckled. "Well, I suppose we'd better hurry to the town before the sun sets; we don't want to be caught in this desert at night!"

* * *

"Takami...Musubi...no...Mikoto..." The glow grew in intensity, coming from a the back wall of the cave. The Sanzo team was drawing closer.

* * *

Kougaiji stood up from the dune he'd slept in. Dokugakuji and Lirin slept by the fire Yaone was tending. Shielding his eyes from the setting sun, Kougaiji watched as something went by in the distance. "It can't be..." No matter where he went, they were fated to run into the Sanzo team. What would the Sanzo team be doing in the Gobi, and headed East, of all things? Unless...

* * *

"Kougaiji, my Lord." Yaone interrupted his thoughts, climbing the dune to stand next to him, "Your dinner is ready, my Lord. You should eat; we've traveled for a fortnight near without rest."

* * *

"Yes..." Kougaiji turned his back on the distant vehicle abruptly. "Yes, I should."

* * *

As he headed down the dune to the fire, Yaone turned to look out at what had captured her Lord's attention. A cloud of dust trailed after a strange boxy object that sped along the Gobi. Shielding her eyes and squinting, Yaone could just make out figures in the vehicle, the light of setting sun glinting like a blood ruby off of a priest's coronet.

* * *

"Look at all this FOOD!" Goku ran to attack the buffet at one end of the inn Hakkai had driven them to.

* * *

"Look at all those CHICKS!" Gojyo grabbed Hakkai's shoulder and pointed to a group of girls sitting at a table and giggling.

* * *

"You two are just a set of lumps of carnality, aren't you?" Hakkai shook his head as Gojyo slid over to the table of girls as Goku sat down next to Sanzo with a plate towering with food.

* * *

"Go easy while we're here, you idiots; it'll only be one night." Sanzo took off his head cloth and coronet and put them on the table, opening up a paper he'd taken from the front.

* * *

Hakkai sat across from Sanzo and Goku. He glanced over at Gojyo and shook his head, turning back to Goku and Sanzo. Goku soon devoured his plate, and while he was gone, Hakkai leaned in and whispered to Sanzo. "Did the Aspects tells you anything of what we'll find in Rishiri?"

* * *

"No." Sanzo spoke in a low voice, "All that I know is that there is a wave of healing energy has been spreading from the East, making those lands impervious to the minus energy tainting the rest of Shangri-La. The source of the energy, as far as the Aspects can tell, is coming from Rishiri."

* * *

"Hmm..." Hakkai nodded, "That is as much as your letter told me."

* * *

"Did any of this ring a bell with either you or Gojyo?" Sanzo lowered his paper a bit.

* * *

"Well..." Hakkai furrowed his brow. "There is a rumor. Apparently the religion of Japan, Shinto, is also the founding source of Selsko."

* * *

"Selsko...I've never heard of it." Sanzo put his paper down. "What do you know of it?"

* * *

"Me? Little to nothing." Hakkai turned in his chair to where Gojyo was, "Gojyo knew more about it. From what he tells me it's basic teachings are similar to my Chi attacks. Gojyo! Could you come over here?" Hakkai waved to the kappa before turning back to Sanzo, "Do you think Goku would know anything? I mean"

* * *

"This place is AMAZING!" Goku plopped down next to Sanzo with another mountain of food to devour. "All you can eat until 8!" He began to stuff his face wholeheartedly.

* * *

Gojyo came over and sat down next to Hakkai, "Don't bother booking me a room, Pretty Boy." He winked at Sanzo, "I've already got one." He turned to Hakkai as Sanzo rolled his eyes, "So, what's the trouble?"

* * *

Hakkai glanced at Goku, then at Sanzo, who waved his hand for Hakkai to continue. Hakkai cleared his throat, "Sanzo and I were just speaking about our little side mission, and perhaps we should just bring everything to the table right now, considering we will need all of our weapons available tomorrow."

* * *

"Goku, you should also know this; we're going to Rishiri." Sanzo looked at Goku for his reaction. "The place where the earth's aura came out of"

* * *

"Which then collected at Mount Kaka to create me." Goku finished. He was quiet for a moment, then; "Why didn't you guys tell me this! You always keep secrets from me! I don't have any secrets; how come you guys get to have all the cool secret-y stuff! OW!"

* * *

Sanzo duly whacked him over the head with his paper fan before continuing. "Well, now that we are all clear on our destination, we can inform each other everything we know about what we might come across at Rishiri." He looked across the table expectantly.

* * *

Gojyo cleared his throat, "Well, I do know that there is a temple there dedicated to the Three Creation Gods, Ame-no-Minaka-Nushi-no-Mikoto, Takami-Musubi-no-Mikoto & Kammi-Musubi-no-Mikoto, and also to the Ama-no-Nuboko."

* * *

Sanzo raised an eyebrow, "Alright, I have no clue what you are talking about."

* * *

Goku blinked "The Ama-no-Nuboko?"

* * *

"The Scared Weapon of the gods of Heaven, the ones who rose out of Chaos." Hakkai nodded. "Izanagi and Izanami used it to create Onokoro, the first island of Japan. Its supposed to have powers to create and control the Three Worlds. Ame-no-Minaka-Nushi-no-Mikoto used it to create a sanctuary within Chaos to give birth to Takami-Musubi-no-Mikoto and Kammi-Musubi-no-Mikoto."

* * *

"And the gods of the Underworld also used it to create the Lower Regions, before the Three Creation Gods gave it to Izanagi and Izanami." Gojyo added.

* * *

Sanzo looked a little skeptical. "Riiiiiiiiiiiight...As a priest, I believe I would have heard something of all this."

* * *

"You are a priest of Buddhism, not Shinto." Hakkai pointed out, "You have only been taught about the gods of Western Shangri-La, not of the Eastern lands. That is what the Ainu are concerned with."

* * *

"Point." Sanzo allowed. "So, assuming all you have said is true, then what we are going to find is this ancient weapon that has created Heaven, Earth, and Hell, and can control the fabric of these realms?"

* * *

"Exactly." Hakkai nodded.

* * *

"Are there gonna' be any guardians for this weapon that we get to shove around?" Goku picked up a rice ball and stuffed it into his mouth.

* * *

"No." Gojyo scratched his head. "If I remember correctly, the Ama-no-Nuboko is somewhere around the Temple. Maybe in the Inner Sanctuary...or the armory."

* * *

"Armory? Gojyo, this is a temple we're talking about." Sanzo reminded him.

* * *

"Yes, preisty, a temple. A selsko temple. Which means that all the peaceful little monks there are highly skilled assassins." Gojyo leaned back in his chair and took a long pull off of his cigarette. "Well, about a third of them, anyway."

* * *

Sanzo raised his eyebrows, not commenting.

* * *

Hakkai explained; "In Selsko, there is a certain order to the temples. Nine masters, six levels, three paths, one method, and four parts to the soul. The three paths are the three different ways you can develop your aura, or chi: for spiritual purposes, for healing purposes, or as a weapon."

* * *

"I'm still having trouble buying some of this, but at least it makes sense. Sort of." Sanzo picked up his paper. "And if there is nothing else we need to know about..." He let his eye wander across the faces of his companions, "...then I will bid you all a goodnight." He stood up, and left.

* * *

"Kammi...Musubi...no...Mikoto..." The back wall of the cave, made of glass, held shadowy figures, suspended within it. The whitish-blue glow came from within the glass, growing in intensity, pulsing as if a heartbeat. The Sanzo team was coming closer.

* * *

Kougaiji kept his head down as Sanzo walked past his table. His grip on Lirin remained tight so that she wouldn't jump up to greet the priest. Yaone and Dokugakuji kept their heads down across from the youkai siblings, lifting them when they were sure Sanzo had left.

* * *

"A sacred weapon that can alter the fabric of Shangri-La?" Yaone murmured fearfully.

* * *

"That won't help us when they get over to Houtou Castle to stop the resurrection of your parents, Kougaiji." Dokugakuji muttered.

* * *

Kougaiji nodded, letting go of his half sister and bowing his head in thought. Lirin immediately popped up in her seat and attacked the sticky rice ball on her plate. As she chewed happily, Kougaiji looked back up at Dokugakuji and Yaone. "We'll follow them to Rishiri. Let's take it from there."

* * *

Dokugakuji was watching as Gojyo, his younger half brother, went back over to the table with the giggling girls. "When do we meet them face-to-face? There's a few things I still need to straighten out."

* * *

"We're not on the same side yet." Kougaiji cautioned, picking up his glass and swirling the contents. "Gyokumen Koushu is in the way. But perhaps..." He thought, a new idea opening itself up to him, "Perhaps with the Ama-no-Nuboko, I won't need that witch to resurrect my mother. I could do it myself, and damn Gyukumen Koushu to the Lower Regions to boot." He sipped from his glass.

* * *

Yaone looked uneasy at this suggestion, "I don't know, my Lord. Once, and if, we get the Ama-no-Nuboko, it might be too dangerous to use right away. And would it work in Buddhist lands? Japan is a Shinto region."

* * *

"It would; there are Shinto temples in Shangri-La." Kougaiji put his glass down. "They said there is a temple built to the Three Creation Gods of Shinto nearby the Ama-no-Nuboko. Surely there would be information on the weapon there."

* * *

Yaone stood. "Lady Lirin, it is late; we should head to our rooms." She gave a bow to Kougaiji, took Lirin by the hand, and left.

* * *

Dokugakuji leaned forward to talk to Kougaiji as Lirin and Yaone left, careful to keep his head down and his voice low; Hakkai had taken a casual interest in them and was watching from over Goku's shoulder. "Are you serious about this? The bit about Koushu, I mean. Mutiny."

* * *

"Of course." Kougaiji glanced up at Dokugakuji through his hair; he also kept his hair down. "I've been that bitch's lap dog for too long; my father revoked any claim to my respect when he took a mistress. Once we get the Ama-no-Nuboko, she can just take her little scientific freak show and stick it up her"

* * *

"Lirin is abed, My Lord." Yaone murmured as she slid back into the seat next to Dokugakuji. "Should I go book us a boat to Rishiri?"

* * *

Kougaiji nodded, not moving his head from its lowered position. He waited a moment after Yaone had gone off before he spoke. "Dokugakuji, which do you believe in? The gods we've walked through the Houtou Castle with, the ones we've come to know to be as humane and easily at fault as you or I, or in the distant and perfect-seeming gods of the Shinto religion we're about to tap into for a sacred spear?"

* * *

"That's a mouthful of a question..." Dokugakuji ran a hand through his short hair, thinking a bit. "Well, now that I actually put my mind to it, the Shinto gods certainty seem much more godly, but likely we'd view them as unspectacular and familiarly as some of our own if we were in the same situations with them. You, for example, are descended from two of our gods, and was just cursing out another one before. You'd not speak of the Ama-no-Nuboko in such hushed tones if you had a couple sitting in your broom closet back home."

* * *

"True...Very true..." Kougaiji sat back in thought, closing his eyes and remembering those of the crying woman embedded in the walls of his home. I will free you mother...I swear I will...I swear it...

* * *

"Ara...ta...mat...su..." The groundwork of Rishiri shook, rattling the relics of the temple directly above the cave where the glass wall stood. One of the figures within the glass opened their eyes. The Sanzo team was close.

* * *

Well, how'd you like it? The end's a bit weird, 'cause I was watching Get Shorty while I wrote it...anyway, please review! Oh, and here's a gift to ya'. Just a few notes for my lovelies so that they would understand the coming parts of the story better...

* * *

Ame-no-Minaka-Nushi-no-Mikoto (first Deity, arose out of Chaos)... Takami-Musubi-no-Mikoto & Kammi-Musubi-no-Mikoto (given birth to by Ame-no-Minaka-Nushi-no-Mikoto)... Umashi-Ashi-Kahibi-Hikoji-no-Mikoto & Ame-no-Tokotachi-no-Mikoto (came from the reeds which sprouted from the watery murk of Earth's early stages)... Izanagi & Izanami (sent to earth by the gods created from the Chaos to fully create earth)... Ama-no-Nuboko (sacred weapon of gods, given to Izanagi & Izanami to help them create and keep the order of earth; created the first island Onokoro, the only one that Izanami did not give birth to)... Owatatsumi-no-Kami (the sea god, the first born)... Kamihaya-akitsu-hiko (one of the twin second born, god of the lands)... Haya-akitsu-hime (one of the twin second born, goddess of the water surrounding the land)... Kamihaya-akitsu-hiko & Haya-akitsu-hime had 8 children... Kami-Shinatsuhiko-no-Mikoto (god of the winds)... Kukunochi-no-Kami (god of the trees)... Oyamatsumi-no-Kami (god of the mountains)... Kayanuhime-no-Kami (goddess of the plains)... Kagutsuchi-no-Kami (god of fire, whose birth started Izanami's death)... Kanayama-biko & Kanayama-hime (god and goddess of metals, born out of Izanami in her death throws)... Haniyasu-hiko & Haniyasu-hime (god and goddess of the earth, born out of Izanami in her death throws)... Mizuhame-no-Mikoto (goddess of death? her birth finally killed Izanami)... Nakisawame-no-Mikoto (goddess of sorrow? born of Izanagi's tears when Izanami died)... Totsuka-no-tsurugi (the sword Izanagi used to decapitate Kagutsuchi-no-Kami after Izanagi had given rise to Nakisawame-no-Mikoto, whose beauty held him transfixed for a moment before he attacked his son)... 16 deities sprang from Kagutsuchi-no-Kami after he was killed, 8 from his blood, and 8 from his body... While Izanami was stuck in the Under World, among an entirely separate branch of gods created by the Three creation gods (first three on the list) she was attended by the 8 thunder deities

* * *

...And there were a few question marks in there because I wasn't entirely sure about the reliability of my information. Let me know if I missed anything and/or got anything wrong. Thank you to the millionth power!

* * *


End file.
